Car Maintenance
Car Maintenance
It's wise to check fluid levels any time you are under the hood, or at least once a month. Most of the time, you'll be OK, but that doesn't mean you should stop checking. This is easily the most important preventative maintenance task that you can do on your own.
Once a month, you should check the levels of: brake fluid, engine oil, power steering fluid and transmission fluid. Engine coolant should be checked every six months. And while you're under the hood, you can also check the windshield washer fluid as well.
If one of them is low, you can throw it away quite easily, and you'll know if it's time to change the fluids completely or if there is a bigger problem, such as a leak.
Check tire pressure
Monitoring tire pressure is also a smart preventative move. Properly inflated tires can extend tire life, but also the motive performance of your vehicle. Too much tire can cause a stiff and bumpy ride, and the center of the tire will wear out more quickly. Too little pressure and too much tire will grip the ground, which also causes them to wear more quickly along the outer edges of the tire. صيانة عامة للمباني
You can find the recommended tire pressure in the owner's manual or, usually, on the driver's side shaft. Squeeze with that pressure, not the tire's pressure rating, which is generally the maximum recommended tire pressure, and is not specific to different vehicles.
If you don't have a tire pressure gauge on hand, the air pump at gas stations sometimes has built-in pressure gauges. Some cars also provide tire pressure readings in digital gauge kits. Just be sure to check the pressure when the tires are at their coolest - not after you've driven many miles.
If you need air, you can usually get it in gas station air pumps for a dollar. If you need to release air from the tire, use a pressure gauge with a pressure release actuator or use a flat-head screwdriver to press the pin in the center of the valve stem. Release the air little by little, and check pressure along the way.
Changing the windshield wipers
One of the easiest things you can do is replace the windshield wiper blades in your car.
Whether it wears off from excessive clenching of ice and snow or from the summer heat, rubber begins to crumble over time. It is recommended that the wiper blades be replaced once or twice a year, depending on the severity of the weather.
The variable wiper blades vary from brand to brand, but all have a simple locking mechanism with a sliding lock or a push-to-release button. Make sure to buy the right length blades for your vehicle - some require two different sizes or may require a back wiper as well. And don't let the spring-loaded boom slide down your windshield (like it brilliantly did a few months ago), as it can break or ooze your windshield, turning a quick and cheap repair into an expensive cost.
Change the air filters
So you take your car in for service and every time, without fail, a mechanic tells me that you need to replace your air filter. Chances are, the mechanic isn't wrong.
Air filters, as the name suggests, filter dirt and debris from entering through the air intake system. It's important to change these regularly - every 15,000 miles or once a year - to prevent serious engine damage and to maintain the intake system's efficiency.
Just like the air filters in your home can seriously affect the performance of your air conditioning unit, an old and dirty air filter can degrade the performance of your car by blocking the airflow. But that doesn't mean you have to pay someone to change it for you. Buy one and replace it yourself. It only takes a few minutes and costs $ 10 (£ 7.78 or $ 13.55).
To change the air filter, look under the hood and locate the air filter housing. Look for clips or latches to open the box, remove the old air filter, and replace it with a new one.
Replacement of spark plugs
Time: from 30 minutes to an hour
Approximate price: $ 30- $ 60 (£ 23.33 - £ 46.67 or AU $ 40.66 - AU $ 81.32)
Spark plugs are essential for your car engine to function properly. It ignites the fuel-air mixture in the combustion chamber, which drives the piston down, and turns the crankshaft. Your car has multiple pistons that work together to completely transform the crankshaft. Timing is essential, and even a single flame can shine or not function properly can drastically affect your vehicle's performance, such as power loss, acceleration speed, and latency and may affect your ability to start the engine.
Changing the spark plugs is a little more than checking fluids or replacing the air filter, but it can still be done at home quite easily.
In most cases, you will need one plug per cylinder, but some vehicles require two per cylinder. Check your owner's manual for the correct number and types of plugs. Also, take note of the required gap. (You may want to pick up a gapping tool while you are in the shop, since this can unintentionally bump into transport and must be measured and corrected before installing).
